Oh Baby
by SadaraLochlan
Summary: OC Sadara Lochlan is hedging on telling Jim Kirk something important. Dr. McCoy helps things along is his own unique way.
1. Oh Baby

A month had passed since Admiral James Tiberius Kirk had put in for two weeks of leave. That month had passed by at a snail's pace, but the charismatic legend's temporary escape from the drudgery that was the Starfleet admiralty was finally upon him. Arriving at the door to the log cabin he owned in the mountains, Kirk keyed open the door and breathed a deep sigh of relief as he swung the door open. Not bothering to close it behind him, Kirk dropped his bag on the sofa and looked around with awe at the natural perfection of not only the log cabin itself, but the serene beauty of the mountains it was nestled in. Every time he stayed here that sense of awe renewed itself and for a brief moment, the desk job he currently flew at Starfleet Headquarters was almost worth it just so Kirk could escape here for a short bursts of time each year.

Joining him shortly after her shift at Spacedock ended would be his half Vulcan/half Human girlfriend, Sadara Lochlan. They had been together for nearly a year and it had been serious for a good portion of that time. She had served aboard the Enterprise under his command for slightly over a year assisting with psych evals in sickbay before transferring to the USS Essex with a promotion. She had wanted to pursue a more command track. The loss of the first officer during an away mission had promoted her to second officer rather swiftly. At the end of the Essex's five year mission, her captain, Ryuu Yamamoto chose to take the promotion to the admiralty as well and Sadara began overseeing the refit of the Essex. All signs pointed to her warping out on the Essex as Starfleet's first female captain upon completion of the refit. Sadara and Kirk had reconnected by chance soon after the Essex returned to Earth.

Drifting into the kitchen, the former captain of the USS Enterprise and Starfleet's current Chief of Operations began pulling out ingredients for dinner. He had learned to cook growing up and enjoyed it immensely. It was a skill he considered to be important still even though most humans now didn't learn how to do it since the arrival of replicators and food synthesizers. Kirk preferred to be prepared for nearly anything and that included a lack of access to technology. He wanted to know he had the knowledge and skill to survive on his own should there ever be some quirk of circumstance when he no longer had technology to lean on.

Looking out the kitchen window, he noted the swiftly darkening sky signaling the rapid approach of an ominous looking thunderstorm. With the front door still open since his arrival, the rustling of branches and leaves in the wind swept into the log cabin. For a moment, Kirk paused in his dinner preparations savored the cool breeze and scent of rain soon to come.

"Some things just can't be experienced in space."

Kirk's hazel eyes flew open in surprise. Before him Commander Sadara Lochlan stood with her bag still slung over her right shoulder and an amused expression lighting up face. She was still in uniform though Kirk suspected that was a temporary situation.

"Personally, I'm waiting for the thunder," she continued, dropping her bag next to his on the sofa and wandering back outside. "A thunderstorm would be gorgeous up here…"

Kirk's arms wound themselves around the hybrid's slender waist as he came up behind her and she leaned into his familiar embrace. They continued to watch the approaching thunderstorm with fascination for some time before Kirk ducked his head to press his full lips to his lover's neck and shoulders.

"Desert before dinner tonight, Jim?"

"I blame the thunderstorm," the handsome young admiral returned, chuckling softly.

"You do realize I am still in uniform. This could be construed as conduct unbecoming an officer…," she teased.

"I won't tell if you won't…" Reaching up, Kirk tugged gently at Sadara's updo and the chocolate curls fell in floral scented waves down her back. Sometimes Kirk wondered if perhaps it wasn't so much the uniform as it was her hairstyle that separated Sadara the Starfleet Officer from Sadara the woman. She had always been adamant that her hair had to be off her collar and out of her face while on duty.

"We should probably make a strategic retreat to the deck," Kirk mumbled into her hair as he jerked his head toward the glowering sky. Lightning illuminated the sky in brief, brilliant flashes and thunder rumbled deeply in the background. The wind was gusting strongly now and leaves from nearby trees scattered to the ground. Pulling away from her, Kirk returned to the deck and settled himself on the light couch just outside the kitchen window, watching Sadara patiently as she continued to observe the storm for a few more moments. Finally deciding the lightning strikes were sufficiently close to be considered a potential threat, she joined Kirk on the deck.

Having forgotten all about dinner for the moment, Kirk tugged roughly at Sadara's uniform shirt, pulling her to his lap. The deep kiss was fierce and urgent, mirroring the intensity of the thunderstorm above them. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, he pushed the light cloth up over her full breasts and tugged it over her head, letting the garment fall in a soft puddle on the deck. He resumed the long kiss from a moment before and used his heavier weight to coax her to her back against the soft cushions. Tugging off the matching white uniform pants and boots, the Vulcan/Human hybrid's long, soft legs parted to make room for the virile young admiral to lie between them. Sadara blushed a soft shade of green as she caught Kirk openly admiring her body. She was rather short waisted, but her full hips and long legs made up for it. Reaching for the waist of her lover's jeans, she undid them and pushed them down his legs. His hands traced the soft curves of her body until they came to rest upon her wide hips and he thrust into her roughly as another clap of thunder clamored down over their heads. The rain finally came pouring down and Sadara gasped in delight as Kirk nipped gently at her jaw and shoulders. He chuckled breathlessly at her enthusiasm as he maintained his swift, steady pace.

Her long, slender fingers twined in his slightly wavy hair and she arched her back under him, shuddering in a hard, rushing climax she hadn't thought to have reached so quickly. The sudden tight, exquisite pressure around him triggered his own and a loud, guttural cry tore from his throat as he emptied himself into her. After what seemed like an eternity of bliss, Kirk gazed down at her incredulously.

"I blame the thunderstorm," Sadara quipped in similar disbelief, quoting her lover from earlier.

W^^^W^^^W

"I should visit the medical bay on Starbase One, but I know you and I'm comfortable with you," Sadara Lochlan admitted quietly as she stood before one Dr. Leonard McCoy whom she worked with some years before on the Enterprise. "Dr. Sekal whom I served with aboard the Essex is on leave on Vulcan. I do apologize for troubling you. I realize you have a private practice you're tending to now."

Dr. McCoy peered at her curiously and reached for his medical tricorder. "Any symptoms I should be aware of?"

"A persistent and constant dizziness lasting 5.8 days. The first day or so I assumed it was temporary as I had been occupied and had not eaten as I normally do, but several days later neither food or sleep has rectified the issue."

Sadara fell silent as the legendary doctor's tricorder scanned her; various chirps and beeps emanated from the instrument and Sadara noted the change in McCoy's expression as he interpreted the readings. She tried to remain patient and wait for his report, but at with anyone regarding her health, she was anxious to know what was wrong with her.

After a few more moments, Dr. McCoy looked up from his tricorder and aqua blue eyes met sapphire ones and he smiled warmly.

"You're five weeks pregnant. Congratulations!"

For a moment the young woman simply sat there, too stunned to say anything. A multitude of things flew through her mind at warp speed, not all of them positive in relation to the coming baby. She knew though that the polite response to the doctor's stunning announcement was a simple "thank you."

"Thank you, doctor," she said in a voice completely devoid of enthusiasm and McCoy's smile faded. Sometimes he wondered if perhaps death wasn't the most depressing aspect of his profession, but rather lackluster responses to pregnancy announcements which were one of the most positive moments of being a doctor. To announce the coming of new life to a parent not enthusiastic about such an event was something McCoy wished he could banish from his job duties.

He set his tricorder down on a tray next to him. "This was unexpected, I take it."

"Yes," she responded plainly. "I have no one to blame but myself. I was a few days late for my birth control injection last month, but I wasn't overly concerned about it because I was due for it several days after my last sexual encounter. I thought there was no chance for conception at that point. I had gone on leave with Jim for a few weeks so when I returned to the refit of the Essex I had so much to catch up on. Still, I should have made time for a trip to sickbay."

"That's the difference in Vulcan and Human physiology I'm afraid. Vulcan females are constantly fertile in the absence of hormonal birth control so when your injection wore off, you ovulated almost immediately. And unlike a Vulcan male, the sperm of a Human male can survive for nearly a week. The chances for conception were slim at the point, granted, but not impossible."

Doctor and patient both fell silent for a moment.

"Sadara… Jim loves you. He'll be thrilled. I promise."

"I don't know how to tell him," she admitted, glancing down at the sterile, white floor. "He trusted me and I was obviously irresponsible. Sometimes I think I take being human a little too far."

McCoy winced at the self deprecating tone. "You're being too hard on yourself and certainly more so than Jim will be. Just don't wait too long. If Jim would be upset with anything it would be being in the dark about it. Now come on, let's have a look at your little one then you'll have some pictures to show Jim."

McCoy tried a compassionate and encouraging smile and sighed in relief as Sadara finally nodded at him with a small smile.


	2. Tough Love Dr McCoy Style

**_This is a variation on an older fic (though this fic is several months old itself, I just hadn't posted it). I'm still not certain which version I like better._**

Admiral James T. Kirk was full. He twirled his fork through the last remnants of fettucine alfredo and popped the forkful into his mouth. Pushing the plate away from him, he looked over at his girlfriend of the past year and frowned slightly. Sadara had seemed increasingly preoccupied over the last few weeks and had barely said a word during the course of their meal. Her dark, slanted eyebrows were knitted together as she frowned pensively down at her own plate, on which there were still a few bites remaining.

"Sadara… is everything alright?"

The young Vulcan/Human hybrid glanced up from her plate quickly and her face flushed with guilt and embarrassment. "Yes. No. I mean, not exactly…" She sighed and cast her gaze back down to the table again, burying her face in her hands as she tried to summon the words. It felt like it took the strength of Hercules to lift her gaze to meet Jim's once more. "There is something I need to tell you."

Any number of possibilities fought for Kirk's headspace in that moment and his heart lurched at the bad ones. Tossing his napkin onto the table beside his plate, the legendary starship captain pushed his chair back and rose. Rounding the dining room table, he offered his tense lover a hand, which she took hesitantly.

"Let's go out onto the balcony," he said softly, nodding his head in the direction of the sliding glass door to his left.

Sadara surprised him by suddenly wrapping her arms around him and holding him to her tightly.

_There is definitely something going on…_Kirk thought grimly as he returned the embrace and wondered what it could be. He knew Sadara loved physical affection, but the fear and nervousness in her embrace worried him. It wasn't like her. Stroking her long, chocolate locks gently, Kirk breathed in her soft, floral scent and whispered his support, hoping to calm her somewhat. He was getting impatient however, to find out what she needed to tell him.

After several long moments, Sadara pulled away. "Just let me get the table cleared first."

"It can wait," Kirk insisted; though he knew how she felt about not cleaning up immediately and trying to fight her on this required a little more stubbornness than he thought even he had. "Alright, I'll take care of it. You go sit out on the balcony for a few minutes and try to relax."

"But Jim…" Her soft voice died as he fixed her with a stern gaze that brooked no opposition.

She turned toward the balcony as Jim began clearing the table. Unexpectedly, the door chime sounded and Sadara altered course to answer the door. "Odd, I'm not expecting any other visitors tonight…" She mumbled as she keyed the door unlocked.

"Dr. McCoy…" She said with surprise as the crotchety, middle aged friend of Kirk's pushed past her uninvited and whirled to face her.

"Have you told Jim about that baby yet?!" He asked angrily, blue eyes blazing.

"Doctor, this really isn't a good time for this...," she said urgently, hoping he'd get the message and leave. Seriously, didn't he have better things to do on a Friday night?

"Of course it isn't. Just like it wasn't two weeks ago when… Oh hi Jim!" Bones McCoy grinned as Kirk wandered in from the kitchen, his expression unreadable. "Well, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had company," McCoy said as he glanced back at Sadara. "In that case, I'll be leaving. Here Jim, catch!" A bottle of bright blue Romulan Ale landed softly in Kirk's hands as the door hissed shut behind the good doctor.

Sadara didn't even hear Kirk set the bottle on the dining room table as he just watched her intently. She just continued to stare at the door in shock, her posture completely rigid and tense. After a long moment she brought her hands up to rub her bare arms as if freezing. Suddenly her light, lavender hued sundress with the spaghetti straps and fairly short hem left her feeling strangely exposed.

"He did that on purpose," she finally whispered furiously and then she fled to her bedroom, desperately wanting back the privacy that had been so blatantly violated a few short moments ago.

Kirk didn't follow her immediately. He too, was processing the shock of what had just occurred. He had told his good friend where he was going to be that night, but never would have anticipated the information to be used like this. After many years of friendship with Dr. McCoy, the handsome young Admiral understood why McCoy did what he did. Sadara must have known for some time and been finding it difficult to say anything to him so McCoy felt he had to show some "tough love" to get things moving along. Still, Sadara had been about to share the news and McCoy had ruined the moment for her. A moment she'd never get back. And that angered Kirk on her behalf. He finished putting away the dishes, giving his girlfriend a few minutes to calm down and then he stopped outside her bedroom door, giving it a couple gentle taps before pushing it open quietly.

She was lying on her side on the queen size bed, her back to him. The window was open and the cream colored curtains bounced around softly in the warm September breeze. Kirk lowered himself onto the bed as well, pressing himself against her back, and slipping his left arm under her. He draped his right arm over her still slim waist and his strong hand settled protectively over her midsection. It awed him to know that his unborn son or daughter was growing strong; a little miracle nestled safely in Sadara's womb right under his hand.

"A baby. My god, Sadara, this is wonderful."

It broke Sadara's heart to hear those words for she had so many conflicting emotions about this pregnancy. Quiet sobs escaped her throat as she tried to rein in her overflowing feelings. She wanted to blame the lack of control on her pregnancy induced hormones, but she knew that wasn't entirely the case. The truth was this pregnancy hadn't been in her plans and she wasn't sure she wanted to be a mother.

"Sadara?" Concern and foreboding tinged Kirk's voice now.

Taking a deep breath, Sadara pondered her words. "I'm not sure how to feel about this, Jim. My whole life… our whole lives, will be changed by this and I'd been looking forward to warping out with the Essex as her new captain after the refit. My career will be dead in the water if I have the baby and I'll have let Admiral Yamamoto down after he'd pushed so hard for me to get the Essex."

Kirk pushed himself up on an elbow and gently grasped her chin, turning her head to look up at him, but his voice had that hard edge in it. "*If* you have the baby? You're not thinking of aborting it, are you?!"

Dread and fear squeezed Kirk's heart in a mighty fist. He thought of Carol Marcus and their son, David whose lives he'd been barred from; and Miramanee, who'd died pregnant with his child just a few short years ago. Both incidents had left James Kirk unimaginably pained, knowing he'd never know his children. And now, Sadara…

Being half Vulcan, she was a touch telepath as all Vulcans were and she heard his unspoken thought and felt the intense emotions that came along with it.

_Not a third child ripped from my life… to have to endure the loss of another child…_

Guilt and shame washed over Sadara. She was being selfish thinking of only her career.

"Look, Sadara, I know this isn't what you'd planned, but this is our baby. It deserves to live just as much as we do."

"That's easy for you to say!" She hissed back angrily. "You don't have to overcome the physical effects of pregnancy or remain "groundbound" due to your "delicate condition"! And who's staying home to raise it? Can you honestly say you'd rather stay here raising a family instead of being on the Enterprise if Starfleet offered her to you again?"

Kirk's mouth was a grim slash and he was sure his hazel eyes showed uncharacteristic weary defeat. The one argument men couldn't touch: They don't experience pregnancy.

His resolve hardened though. He didn't fight Carol's decision to keep him away from David. He wouldn't make that mistake with Sadara. He'd fight for his child.

"And 20 years out of a 200 year lifespan is too much for you to give up for our baby's life?"

A sigh. "No, it's not. Look, I didn't say I'd abort it, Jim. This is just a lot to absorb. My life is going to change in every way possible."

"I'll help you; just don't take my baby away from me. You know I've already had two children taken from me. And you're not letting anyone down. Ryuu has four kids of his own. He'll understand."

Sadara fell silent and stared out the window pensively. She knew deep down she'd never be able to live with herself if she aborted their baby. She would be filled with regret and spend the rest of her life wondering what the baby would have been like. And she loved Jim too much to take this child away from him, especially since he'd already suffered the loss of his first two. Where she'd seen an inconvenience, Kirk saw a family. And he was right…20 years out of 200 wasn't asking much. On Monday, she'd start considering options for ground assignments. Perhaps she could make a difference if she found the right one.

Reaching under the soft pillow, Sadara pulled out a slim datapad and activated it, then held it up to Jim. "First pictures of your baby. It's due in April. Do you want to know what we're having?"

Kirk grinned wide with blessed relief and gently took the datapad and kissed her deeply. "You bet."


	3. Vulcan Ears

"It looks like the baby will inherit the Vulcan ears and physiology, but her coloring is going to be more similar to humans. Blonde hair even," Dr. McCoy noted, his expression one of fascination as he studied the readings. "The little darlin' is perfectly healthy."

A grin of monumental proportions spread itself over Jim Kirk's face at the same moment a sigh of relief escaped Sadara. Offering her a hand, Kirk helped Sadara sit up on the biobed.

"Any chance we can "bob her ears" though?" Sadara said quietly. She almost cringed knowing that Kirk would have a few choice words to say about that idea.

McCoy's brows furrowed in confusion. "It's possible, but there's no medical reason for it. I wouldn't recommend making any cosmetic changes not necessary for the child's wellbeing due to the risk of miscarriage."

"Not with my daughter, you don't!" Kirk said in a tone that brooked no opposition. "She is a quarter Vulcan; that's part of who she is and you're not going to try to take that away from her. It's not your place to make that decision for her."

Sadara looked at him incredulously. "The hell it isn't, Jim. I'm her mother and I'll decide what is best for her. You have no idea what a hell it is to be a hybrid."

"Sadara. No. She should have the right to decide for herself."

"Then she can have her ears pointed when she's an adult." Sadara folded her arms across her chest and raised a defiant eyebrow in Kirk's direction. McCoy for his part remained out of it for the time being and retreated to his office to transfer the sonogram pictures to a datapad for them. Kirk and Sadara barely noticed as they continued their heated discussion.

"I think the real issue here is you may have to teach her about Vulcan ways and you don't want to face your Vulcan half. Well, you need to. For your sake and our daughter's."

"Hardly. It's about the fact that she's more human than Vulcan and she'll be raised on Earth. People see pointed ears and they expect certain behaviors. It is unreasonable to expect that from a child who is more human than Vulcan. I don't want to see her tortured growing up."

"You are going to make it worse for her by trying to shield her from everything. She has to be taught about both sides if she is going to be successful in either culture. No matter how much you want to, you can't keep her from learning about her Vulcan quarter." Kirk gestured to Sadara's own ears. "Her own mother has pointed ears so how are you going to avoid her questions?"

"You don't understand, Jim. Visiting my family on Vulcan was a nightmare growing up. It wasn't my family that treated me awful, save for the other children who were not unlike human children in many respects. The different one is outcast and so on. I was taught by my father that two wrongs don't make a right and that it wasn't okay to hit back so I didn't."

Taking a deep breath, Sadara powered through more of the story.

During one visit when I was 12, my cousins who were a few years older than me, led me to believe that they'd changed and wanted to make amends by taking me with them on a hike in the nearby mountains. They arranged it so I'd be separated from them at some point during the hike. Fortunately for me, my father had taken me hiking, camping, and all those things when I was young so the concept of walking all that way home didn't frighten me. What was intimidating was that I didn't know much about the wildlife in those areas, but I kept going. With my Vulcan physiology the heat wasn't a major problem. I was 16 miles into that journey when my parents finally found me. Even with all our technology in this century, it still takes time to find a missing child."

A full body shudder seized her body and Sadara's face twisted in a painful grimace. "So yeah, I have issues with Vulcans. You have been fortunate in that you've come to know one and trust one implicitly. I've learned not to trust the poker face because I've been told straight up, bald faced lies with it; lies that could have had serious consequences for me. I can't seem to feel anything other than anxiety around them; like I have to watch my back when I'm around them."

The Vulcan/Human hybrid felt strangely and suddenly vulnerable around Kirk telling that story. She loathed that she felt weak being so dominated and controlled by a few memories from decades previous, but she'd kept her guard up around Vulcans for so long she couldn't imagine not having it. As an adult looking back it didn't seem that the event was that traumatizing, but for a pre-teen excited to finally be accepted by her Vulcan cousins, the betrayal had stung and had left a lasting impression.

"I don't know how to explain it. It's almost like a phobia in some ways. Intellectually, I can see how irrational it is, but when I'm around them, the fear and anxiety kicks in and my rational mind can't seem to override that. Human children can be bullies too, but they'd never done anything on that scale when I was growing up. And with the Vulcan children it was always about *what* I was, like it was something I chose for myself and deserved to be punished for. I never bothered with my Vulcan half because I believed it didn't matter if I did well as a Vulcan. Vulcans would always only see my human half and how I was falling short. My human half seemed like a better fit for me."

Kirk simply listened, his expression a mixture of concern and compassion. "I know from listening to you and Spock that being a Vulcan/Human hybrid isn't easy, but you've got to make some sort of peace with it before this baby comes or she's going to be burdened by the same things you are. I won't let that happen to her. Now come on," he said, nodding to McCoy's office. "We're holding him up from getting to his next patient. We'll discuss this more at home."


	4. Like Father Like Daughter

"Are you certain you want to go?" Admiral James T. Kirk was perched on the edge of his properly made queen size bed with his arms folded across his chest. He watched with fondness and some amusement as his heavily pregnant girlfriend, Commander Sadara Lochlan prepared for the delightful and mandatory (for the Admiralty anyway) Starfleet diplomatic function at Starfleet Headquarters that evening welcoming a new planet into the Federation.

He had to admit to some mixed feelings about leaving her at home all the same. Equal parts of him warred over whether or not she would be better off resting or staying active in the hopes that any excitement would "get the show on the road." Sadara's due date was right around the corner and their little baby could come at any time. Her physical discomfort had grown considerably in the last month and Kirk had no wish to exacerbate that with a long and tedious Starfleet function.

Deciding to leave her hair down in its natural, dark brown waves, Sadara laid the brush down on the dresser and turned to the handsome young Admiral. A slim hand rested on her rounded belly. She wore a knee length, black dress and turquoise colored shoes and jewelry for splashes of color. While many men admitted to feeling repulsed by their partner's pregnant body, Kirk found he couldn't share the sentiment. Heavy with his child, he found he couldn't think of her any less than stunningly beautiful and he was excited for the moment he would finally get to hold the tiny being they had created together.

"Positive," she responded without hesitation. "I need out, Jim. I know I should probably rest because there will be little of that after the baby comes, but I really do need out of the house for a time. I'm uncomfortable whether I'm doing something or not so I'd rather be out socializing. And admit it, you'd rather keep me where you can see me at this point. You've been hovering the last few weeks. A lot. Besides, it's not everyday I get to see you in dress uniform. You look incredible in it."

They shared a long, gentle kiss before he nodded and relented. "Alright, but the instant you feel like calling it a night, you tell me."

With a mock salute, Sadara grinned. "Yes, sir, Admiral Kirk, sir!"

"Let's go, you…," he said gesturing to the door and grinning.

W^^^W^^^W

They had arrived at Starfleet Headquarters just in time to find their seats. To Kirk's right was Admiral Ryuu Yamamoto, Sadara's former captain aboard the Essex. Sadara brightened upon seeing her former commander. He had been something of another father figure to her and definitely had been a mentor to her in her pursuit of starship command. Despite her initial fears that Yamamoto would be disappointed that she would be home raising a child instead of warping out on the Essex, she had been relieved to learn that was hardly the case. He had seemed nearly as excited about her coming child as if it was his own grandchild, checking in on her weekly and asking Kirk about her when they bumped into each other at HQ.

The chatter in the ballroom died down as the President of the United Federation of Planets called for attention. For the next hour or so, the gathering listened as patiently as possible to the obligatory speeches and ceremonies before dinner was served. Kirk strongly suspected the food was part of what had drawn Sadara out for this otherwise tedious little function. It didn't take long for the Vulcan/Human hybrid to navigate her way through her salad and the main course.

Yamamoto looked over at her momentarily while chatting with Kirk and stopped abruptly, noticing she looked acutely uncomfortable.

"Sadara?"

She glanced over at him, almost startled she'd been so caught up in her discomfort. "Oh, I'm fine. Sometimes the baby gets very active right after I've eaten; a little elbow in a tender spot or something."

Kirk watched her carefully and skeptically for a long moment. "Do we need to go home so you can lie down?"

"I'm fine, Jim," she said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Really."

W^^^W^^^W

They had decided to call it a night shortly after desert had been served. Kirk had become restless and was even more certain that Sadara needed to be taken home whether she liked it or not.

She had retired to bed after a long shower, but had tossed and turned for much of the night, keeping Kirk awake along with her until he finally dozed off at about 0100 hours. When he awoke a few hours later he found Sadara pacing in the living room with her hand gently rubbing at her swollen middle.

She was oblivious to his presence for a few more moments until she finally turned around with a startled gasp. She calmed quickly though.

"About 10 minutes apart," she answered his unspoken question.

"You could have gotten me up."

"There isn't anything to do now but wait until my contractions are closer together. My water hasn't even broken yet," she said, shaking her head. "Go back to sleep."

"If you can't sleep, then I'm not going to," Kirk stated in no uncertain terms. "I'm calling Bones."

"Jim, it's too early for that. Let him sleep. I've been through this before. This part could take hours an-," she stopped abruptly and looked at Kirk. "My water just broke," she finished, amazement evident in her voice. "It's like this kid knows what we're talking about."

"And now that your water has broken, I'm calling Bones. Like you said you've been through this before and subsequent labors tend to be shorter."

W^^^W^^^W

"Last one, Sadara," McCoy called out, looking up momentarily. He just needed the baby's shoulders now. Sadara nodded tiredly and bracing for the next contraction she squeezed Kirk's hand and looked at him. She was exhausted, and hot, and very thirsty. The sooner this kid came out, the sooner she could have something cold to drink. To his credit, Kirk hadn't left her side the entire time nor did he allow himself to have anything she couldn't have so she was certain that he was hungry and thirsty too. He brushed her sweat soaked hair back and moved his other arm behind her again, helping to brace her for the final push.

Nodding that the next contraction had begun, she gripped Kirk's hand in a mighty fist and bore down hard.

"Thatta girl," McCoy grinned, looking up. "You can relax, Sadara. I've got her."

It took a moment for Sadara to process that, but when the baby let out her first ear piercing wails, she collapsed against Kirk in wracking sobs of overwhelming joy and relief. Kirk could only stare at his daughter in awe as Dr. McCoy cleaned her up and held her out.

"You want to cut the cord, Jim?"

With a grin, Kirk joined McCoy as he laid the baby girl on Sadara's middle and handed his friend and former captain a surgical instrument. Kirk took it from him and gently cut his daughter's umbilical cord under McCoy's supervision. Returning the instrument to the doctor, Kirk swaddled his daughter and lifted her in his arms, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. The wails of a few moments ago died down to random coos and whimpers. Reluctantly he held his newborn daughter out to her mother who took her and gazed at her lovingly.

"It appears she has your eyes," Kirk said, still studying his baby girl.

McCoy smirked. "Most babies have blue eyes at birth, Jim; but yes, based on the genetic testing I did on the little darlin', she is going to keep her mother's blue eyes."

Looking up at Kirk, Sadara smiled warmly. "Madeline Diana still?"

"I think it suits her, yes."


End file.
